(Image credit: Getty Images)
Rates checked as of May 1, 2023.
We may get compensation if you visit partner links on our site. We may not cover every available offer. Our relationship with advertisers may impact how an offer is presented on our website. However, our selection of products is made independently of our relationship to advertisers.
Whether you travel often or just take the occasional vacation, a travel rewards credit card can be an excellent companion. With every purchase, you can use a good travel card to collect points or miles that are redeemable for flights, hotels, or other travel bookings. And many travel rewards cards come with extra benefits, too, from free entry into airport lounges to statement credits toward application fees for TSA PreCheck and other programs that expedite security screening at the airport.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Take a look at our picks of the best travel rewards credit cards. If you’d rather have a card that offers cash back or another type of reward, see our article on the best rewards credit cards.
We calculate a typical annual reward for each card assuming $25,000 spent annually and less any annual fee. Interest rates, fees, rewards and other terms listed in this article are subject to change. Before you apply for a credit card, check its current terms and conditions with the issuer.
Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards: No Annual Fee
With these cards, you reap points or miles without paying an annual fee. You will still need to consider foreign transaction fees if you plan to do a lot of international travel.
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%
- Annual fee: None
- Foreign transaction fee: A hefty 3%, so for trips abroad, look to our other winners that charge no such fee
- Rewards: Five points per dollar spent on travel purchases through Chase, three points on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5 points per dollar on other spending; earn 5% total cash back on qualifying Lyft rides through March 2025
- Redemption: Redeem points at a rate of a penny each for cash back, gift cards or travel; points do not expire
- Sign-up bonus: $200 back if you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then 16.74% to 27.74% variable APR
- Annual fee: None
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Rewards: 1.5 miles per dollar spent on purchases
- Sign-up bonus: A match of miles earned after one year, doubling your rewards
- Redemption: Unlike a co-branded credit card, the miles earned on the card can be used to cover travel purchases made at any airline, car rental or hotel over the past 180 days; miles may also be redeemed for statement credit to pay your bill
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 0% introductory APR for purchases for the first 12 months, then 19.74%, 24.74%, or 29.74% variable APR
- Annual fee: None
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Rewards: Earn three points per dollar spent on a range of travel-related purchases, including travel bookings through the Wells Fargo Rewards (opens in new tab) program, restaurant spending, gas and transit (such as parking, tolls and ride-sharing services); you also get three points per dollar on wireless and landline phone plans and eligible streaming services; all other purchases earn one point per dollar
- Sign-up bonus: 20,000 points if you spend $1,000 in the first three months
- Redemption: Redemption options include travel bookings and cash back, with a value of one cent per point redeemed.
Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards Worth the Annual Fee
With a high payback on travel spending and some perks on the side, these cards make the annual fee worth paying.
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 20.74%, 25.74% or 28.74% variable APR for purchases
- Annual fee: $95
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Rewards: Five miles per dollar spent on hotel stays and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; all other spending earns two miles per dollar; limited airport lounge access and other benefits apply
- Redemption: Redeem miles at a rate of a penny each for statement credits on travel purchases or to book a new travel reservation through Capital One; or transfer miles to any of more than 15 travel loyalty programs
- Sign-up bonus: 75,000 miles if you spend $4,000 in the first three months; through May 16, 2023, you also get five miles per dollar on bookings through car-sharing service Turo
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 19.49% to 29.49% variable APR for purchases
- Annual fee: $85
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Rewards: 1.5 cents per point when booking travel through U.S. Bank’s Rewards Center, and five points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through the rewards center; three points per dollar on restaurant spending; two points per dollar on purchases with airlines, gas stations and electric-vehicle charging stations; and one point per dollar on other spending.
- Redemption: If you’d rather redeem points for cash back, they hold a respectable value of 1 cent each. Points expire after five years.
- Intro bonus: 30,000 points if you spend $2,000 in the first four months
- Terms apply
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 20.99% to 28.99% variable APR for purchases or balance transfers
- Annual fee: $95, waived the first year
- Top rewards rate: Five points per dollar on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center
- Other rewards: four points per dollar on other travel purchases and at gas and EV charging stations; two points per dollar on grocery store, restaurant and streaming-service spending; and one point per dollar on other spending
- Redemption: Redeem points at a rate of a penny each for travel, gift cards, cash back, merchandise and other options; cardholders also get re-imbursement of the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, four free yearly visits to Priority Pass Select airport lounges, and a $30 annual credit if you make 11 months of purchases with eligible streaming services
- Sign-up bonus: 50,000 points if you spend $2,000 in the first 120 days
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 20.99% to 28.99% variable APR for purchases
- Annual fee: $95
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Rewards: Get three points per dollar spent in a range of categories: restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel and hotels; all other spending earns one point per dollar.
- Redemption: Points are worth a penny each if you redeem them for gift cards or travel bookings through the Citi ThankYou program; you can also transfer points to partner airline and hotel loyalty programs; there are no blackout dates and points do not expire
- Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points if you spend $4,000 in the first three months; and through June 30, 2024, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal
Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards for Flexible Travel Redemptions
Redeem points for travel bookings or transfer them to a broad range of partner airline and hotel loyalty programs.
Chase Sapphire Preferred bonus offer.</a></p>" data-widget-type="deal" data-render-type="editorial">
(opens in new tab)
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 20.74% to 27.74% variable APR for purchases and balance transfers, and 29.74% variable APR on cash advances
- Annual fee: $95
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Rewards: Five points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® and two points per dollar on other travel spending; three points per dollar on dining, and select online grocery and streaming services; and one point per dollar on other spending
- Other benefits: Get $50 in statement credits annually for hotel stays booked through Chase; on each yearly anniversary of opening your account, you get a 10% points bonus on total purchases made the previous year
- Redemption: Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®; for example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel
- Sign-up bonus: This offer is ending soon - 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening; that's $1,000 when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Member FDIC
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 0% APR for purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then 17.99% to 28.99% variable APR
- Annual fee: None
- Foreign transaction fee: 2.7%
- Rewards: Two points per dollar on up to $6,000 spent at supermarkets per year, then 1%; two points per dollar on certain prepaid travel purchases through Amex Travel; other spending gets one point per dollar, and each month that you make at least 20 purchases with the card, you get a 20% points bonus on those purchases
- Redemption: The best way to redeem points includes booking flights through Amex Travel at a rate of a penny per point or transferring points to loyalty programs including Delta SkyMiles (at a ratio of one Amex point to one SkyMile), Hilton Honors (1:2 ratio) and Marriott Bonvoy (1:1)
- Intro bonus: 10,000 points if you spend $2,000 in the first six months
- Terms apply
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 20.74% to 27.74% variable
- Annual fee: $95, or if you prefer to pay no annual fee, check out the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Rewards: Six Marriott points per dollar spent at Marriott properties, three points per dollar on up to $6,000 spent yearly at grocery stores, gas stations and dining, and two points per dollar on all other spending; a free one-night Marriott stay per year after each account anniversary, valid for a one night hotel stay at a property with a redemption level up to 35,000 points; note that certain hotels have resort fees
- Redemptions: Marriott Bonvoy points are redeemable for stays at Marriott properties, but you can also transfer them to the frequent-flier programs of 38 airlines, including American, Delta, Southwest and United; plus, you get 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points you transfer; among the card’s benefits are Silver Elite status with Marriott and a one-night hotel stay each year; points expire if your account is inactive for 24 months
- Sign-up bonus: Earn 100,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening
Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards for Premium Travel Rewards
Frequent travelers can more than overcome the high annual fees on these cards by taking advantage of a bevy of perks.
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 21.74% to 28.74% variable APR for purchases
- Annual fee: $395
- Foreign Transaction fee: None
- Rewards: Earn 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, five miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel, and two miles per dollar on all other purchases
- Other benefits: Perks include 10,000 bonus miles on your account anniversary each year, an annual statement credit of up to $300 for bookings made through Capital One Travel, free entry to more than 1,300 Priority Pass and Plaza Premium airport lounges, complimentary access for you and two guests to Capital One’s airport lounges, and President’s Circle status with Hertz
- Redemption: Redeem miles at a rate of a penny apiece for statement credits on travel purchases or travel bookings through Capital One, or transfer them to partner airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Sign-up bonus: 75,000 miles if you spend $4,000 in the first three months
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 21.74% to 28.74% variable
- Annual fee: $550; $75 for each authorized user
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Rewards: Get 10 points per dollar on spending at participating restaurants through the Chase Dining program as well as on hotel and car rentals booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards; five points per dollar on flights booked through Chase; three points per dollar on other restaurant and travel spending and one point per dollar on the rest of your purchases
- Other benefits: An annual statement credit of up to $300 for travel purchases (purchases that qualify for the credit do not earn points until the $300 travel credit has been applied), a Priority Pass Select membership for airport lounge access, perks at properties in the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, 10 points per dollar on Lyft rides through March 2025, at least a year of free membership to DoorDash's delivery subscription service, and a $10 monthly statement credit toward purchases from home delivery service Gopuff
- Redemption: Points are transferable to partner airline and hotel loyalty programs, or trade points at a healthy rate of 1.5 cents each when you redeem them for travel bookings through Ultimate Rewards, or for statement credits against purchases in rotating categories through Chase's Pay Yourself Back program (including Airbnb, dining, charitable donations, and other categories)
- Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points if you spend $4,000 in the first three months, for a total value of $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase ultimate rewards
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 20.99% to 28.99% variable
- Annual fee: $695, plus $175 for up to three authorized users and $175 per card for each user beyond three
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Rewards: Earn five Membership Rewards® Points per dollar for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn five Membership Rewards® Points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel
- Annual Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®
- Other benefits: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card; up to $189 in yearly credits to reimburse the membership fee for the CLEAR® airport-security program; free access to many airport lounges; discounts on many subscription, streaming, delivery, and other services; enrollment required for select benefits
- Redemption: There is no option for cash back; the greatest value comes from booking travel with points, and from the many discounts and other perks
- Intro bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership
- Terms apply
Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards: Dedicated Airline Cards
If you’re loyal to a certain airline or hotel chain, you may be a good candidate to use a credit card that provides points or miles from your preferred loyalty program. Such cards often provide perks such as complimentary checked baggage or free hotel stays each year, too. See whether our picks of the top airline and hotel rewards cards are a good match for you. And note that if you would rather not pay an annual fee, many of the hotels and airlines mentioned here offer no-fee cards, too, but they come with fewer perks.
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 20.74% to 27.74% variable APR for purchases
- Annual fee: $149
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Rewards: Three points per dollar on purchases with Southwest Airlines and two points per dollar on purchases with Rapid Rewards hotel and car-rental partners; two points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting (including ride-sharing services), on internet, cable and phone services, and on select streaming services; all other spending earns one point per dollar
- Annual benefits: Cardholders receive three hefty bonuses on each account anniversary, including a $75 annual credit for Southwest purchases, a bonus of 7,500 Rapid Rewards points, and 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points
- Other benefits: Reimbursement for up to four upgraded airline boardings per year; 1,500 tier-qualifying points toward A-List status for each $10,000 spent on the card; and 25% back on in-flight purchases
- Redemption: Points may be redeemed for travel on Southwest Airlines or through its Rapid Rewards program; points may also be redeemed for gift cards, merchandise, and entertainment
- Sign-up bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus points (opens in new tab) after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 20.74% to 29.74% variable APR for purchases and balance transfers
- Annual fee: $99, waived the first year; if you prefer a no-fee card that earns AAdvantage miles, check out the AAdvantage MileUp Mastercard (opens in new tab)
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Rewards: Cardholders get two American Airlines AAdvantage miles per dollar spent at gas stations and restaurants and on American Airlines purchases; all other spending earns one mile per dollar
- Other benefits: A $125 flight discount each year in which you spend $20,000 on the card; a free checked bag on domestic flights for you and up to four companions on the same reservation; preferred boarding; and 25% off in-flight food and beverage purchases; for every mile you earn on Platinum Select card purchases, you get one Loyalty point toward heightened AAdvantage status
- Redemption: Redeem award miles on American Airlines, American Eagle, and oneworld partners flights; the Aadvantage program also allows you to redeem miles for car rentals, hotels, and vacation packages with any American Airlines partner.
- Sign-up bonus: 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles if you spend $2,500 in the first three months
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 20.74% to 29.74% variable APR for purchases
- Annual fee: $99, $0 Intro annual fee the first year
- Top rewards rate: Earn two miles per dollar on Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets
- Other rewards: Other perks include a discount of up to $50 on flights for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles through Delta; a $100 credit toward a Delta flight purchase each year that you spend $10,000 on the card; a 20% credit for Delta in-flight purchases of food, drinks and headsets; priority boarding; and a free checked bag for up to nine passengers on your Delta flight reservations; with Send & Split®, you can send money and split your Card purchases with any other Venmo or PayPal user, directly from the Amex App
- Redemption: Miles can be used for travel on Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection carriers (Endeavor Air, Inc., Republic Airline, and SkyWest) and on 30+ partner airlines. Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com (opens in new tab).
- Intro bonus: Earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months
- Terms apply
Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards: Dedicated Hotel Cards
Frequent guests of the hotel chains associated with these cards can get great value out of them, earning extra points for hotel stays and certain other purchases. Plus, enjoy benefits such as free-night awards and elevated loyalty status.
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 20.74% to 27.74% variable
- Annual fee: $95
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Top rewards rate: Earn nine points per $1 spent on Hyatt stays and experiences
- Other rewards: Get five World of Hyatt Bonus points per dollar on Hyatt purchases; two points per dollar at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from airlines, on local transit, and on fitness club and gym memberships; and one point per dollar on other spending
- Other benefits: Each year after your cardmember anniversary, you get a free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort, plus an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel if you spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year, automatic Discoverist loyalty status, five qualifying nights toward the next loyalty tier each year, and two more qualifying night credits each time you spend $5,000 on the card.
- Redemption: Redeem points for a wide array of benefits offered by the World of Hyatt (opens in new tab), such as through travel partnerships with MGM Resorts and American Airlines
- Sign-up bonus: Up to 60,000 World of Hyatt Bonus points: 30,000 if you spend $3,000 in the first three months and up to an additional 30,000 points by earning two points per dollar up to $15,000 spent on purchases that typically earn one point for the first six months.
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening, then 20.49%, 24.74% or 29.74% variable APR on purchases, with 0% on purchases for 6 billing cycles on all Wyndham Timeshare Purchases
- Annual fee: $75; for a no-fee option, look to the Wyndham Rewards Earner Visa (opens in new tab)
- Foreign Transaction fee: None
- Rewards: Six Wyndham Rewards points per dollar spent on purchases with Hotels by Wyndham, as well as on gas; four points per dollar on restaurant and grocery-store purchases; and one point per dollar on all other spending; each anniversary year, cardholders get a 7,500-point bonus
- Other benefits: You’ll also get an additional discount on the best available rate when making reservations at participating properties, and automatic Platinum loyalty status
- Redemption: Points may be redeemed at thousands of Wyndham properties worldwide, including hotels, resorts, casinos, vacation homes, and European parks; points expire if your Wyndham Rewards account is inactive for 18 months.
- Sign-up bonus: 45,000 Wyndham Rewards points if you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days
(opens in new tab)- Interest rate: 20.74% to 29.74% variable APR for purchases
- Annual fee: $95; If you prefer to skip the annual fee, try the Hilton Honors American Express Card (opens in new tab) instead.
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Rewards: Earn 12 points per dollar spent within the Hilton portfolio, six points per dollar on U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, and three points per dollar on other spending.
- Other benefits: Extra benefits include a Priority Pass Select membership that provides 10 free yearly visits to participating airport lounges, complimentary Gold loyalty status; if you spend $40,000 on the card in a calendar year, you’re bumped up to Diamond status.
- Redemption: Points typically expire if you are inactive in the Hilton Honors program for 24 months, and earning points with the credit card counts as activity; expiration terms may vary by membership tier
- Intro bonus: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points and one Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Terms apply
As an independent publication dedicated to helping you make the most of your money, the article above is our view of the best deals and is not the opinion of any entity mentioned such as a card issuer, hotel, airline etc. Similarly, the content has not been reviewed or endorsed by any of those entities.
Other Best Buy Credit Cards
- Kiplinger's guide to the best rewards credit cards
- Kiplinger's guide to the best cash back credit cards
- Kiplinger's guide to the best student credit cards
- Kiplinger's guide to the best balance transfer credit cards
- Kiplinger's guide to the best business credit cards
- Kiplinger's guide to the best 0% APR credit cards
Explore More
-
-
To Afford Retirement, Take Inspiration from ‘The Golden Girls’
Roommates, a part-time job and renting out your vacation home could be ways to save early in retirement to cover more expensive years later on.
-
Why You Should Teach Your Kids Investing
Putting money in the stock market is one of the best ways to build wealth in America. That's why it is so important for parents to teach their kids investing.
-
Best Cash Back Credit Cards May 2023
Smart Buying Looking for the credit card that pays the most cash back? These lenders may pay hundreds of dollars, with minimum hassle.
-
I-Bond Rate Is 6.89% for Next Six Months
Investing for Income If you missed out on the opportunity to buy I-bonds at their recent high, don’t despair. The new rate is still good, and even has a little sweetener built in.
-
What Are I-Bonds?
savings bonds Inflation has made Series I savings bonds enormously popular with risk-averse investors. How do they work?
-
Your Guide to Open Enrollment 2023
Employee Benefits Health care costs continue to climb, but subsidies will make some plans more affordable.
-
Watch Out for Flood-Damaged Cars from Hurricane Ian
Buying & Leasing a Car In the wake of Hurricane Ian, more flood-damaged cars may hit the market. Car prices may rise further because of increased demand as well.
-
What You Need to Know About Life Insurance Settlements
life insurance If your life insurance payments don’t seem worth it anymore, consider these options for keeping the value.
-
What Is APR?
Even for those who pay off their credit card balances every month, knowing your APR is part of keeping good credit habits.
-
How Big Will the Fed Rate Hike Be? Wall Street's Top Minds Weigh In
interest rates The Fed rate hike announcement is due out Wednesday afternoon, and markets are anticipating another monster increase.
